Public Transport, Community & Working Rights 

Public Transport

If you are studying in Riga, the Rīgas Satiksme public transport network (buses, trolleybuses, trams) is excellent and extremely affordable for students.

E-talons system: This is the electronic local transport card. As a student at an accredited Latvian university, you benefit from a massive discount of up to 70% on monthly passes.
How do you get the discount?
1. Request a student certificate from your university’s secretariat.
2. Go directly to the official Rīgas Satiksme portal to see the ticket types or set up a Rīgas Satiksme Personalized e-ticket with a student profile at a customer service center.

ESN Latvia (Erasmus Student Network)

You are not alone in this journey. ESN Latvia (Erasmus Student Network) is the official national organization supporting the integration of international students into the Latvian academic and social environment.

Who can join?
The network is open to everyone: both Erasmus+ students and full-time students.
What does it offer? ESN organizes cultural events, weekend trips, social evenings and offers “Buddy” systems. You can check their centralized platform on ESN Latvia Official Website for details about local communities.

Working Rights

If you plan to take a part-time job during your studies, you need to be extremely careful about local legislation, especially if you come from a Non-EU country.

- 20-hour rule: Unlike Estonia, Latvia applies a fixed and very strict legal limit of maximum 20 hours per week during semesters for Non-EU students.
- IMPORTANT WARNING: Latvian authorities strictly check employment contracts. Exceeding the legal 20 hours will result in automatic cancellation of your visa/residence permit (TRC) and deportation.
- Where are you looking for work? To search for legal jobs or to find out about your rights, use the official government platform of the Latvian State Employment Agency - NVA and their job database on the NVA CV and Vacancy Portal.